Improvement in regulating mechanism for incubators



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. S. RENWIGK. Regulating Mechanism for Incubators, 8E0. No.'210,559.Patented Dec. 3,1878.

N.PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C 4 Sheets-Sheet'Z E.$.RBNW10Ky Regulating Mechanism for Incubators, 8w. No. 210,559.

Patented Dec. 3,1878.

nnnunmmuunum N- PETERS. PHOTO 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

E. S. RENWIOK.

, Regulating Mechanism for Incubators, 8w.

No. 210,559. Patented Dec. 3, 1878.

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N. PEIEHS, PHOTO LITHDGRAPH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. RENW'I OK, OF MILLBURN, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN REGULATING MECHANISM FOR INCUBATORS, dc.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 210,559, dated December3, 1878; application filed November 11, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SABINE REN- WICK, of Millburn, in the countyof Essex and State of New Jersey, have made an invention of certain newand useful Improvements in Regulating Mechanism for Incubators and otherpurposes; and that the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description andspecification of the same.

The object of this invention is more particularly to control the heat ofincubators and other apparatuses in which a regular heat is to bemaintained.

To this end my invention consists of certain new combinations ofdevices, of which the following are the principal: A thermostatic bar,consisting of connected strips of substances having difl'erentcapacities of expansion by heat; a lever or levers combining twothermostatic bars, as hereinafter described; a regulator-detent, which,when the entire in-. vention is used, is operated by one or morethermostatic bars; adynamic engine, operated preferably by a weight orspring, and capable of exerting force and producing movement; anengine-detent, for releasing the dynamic engine at the times it is to bepermitted to move, and for holding it at rest at other times; adetent-motor, for operating the engine-detent-this motor is preferably aspring or a weight; a liquid speed-controller, for controlling therapidity of movement of the dynamic engine; detent-arms, or theirequivalents or substitutes, for operating in connection with thedetents; "one or more valves, or their substitutes, by which theapplication of heat is regulated; a shifting weight, or its equivalent,by means of which the movement of the regulator-detent is assisted inalternately-opposite directions.

The various combinations of which the invention consists are specifiedin detail at the close of this specification. In order that they may befully understood, I have represented in the accompanying drawings, andwill proceed to describe, the best mode which I have thus far devised ofembodying my entire i11- vention in a practical form, it beingunderstood that some parts of my invention may be used without others,and that the modes in which the several parts of the invention can beembodied may be greatly varied.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of theapparatus, (certain parts being omitted for perspicuity.) Fig. 2represents a plan of parts of the same. Fig. 3 represents a side view ofthe engine and detent mechanism, suitable for operating in connectionwith an incubator. Fig. 4 represents a plan of the same. Fig. 5represents a vertical transverse section of the same at the line 00 w ofFig. 4. Fig. 6 represents a transverse section of the liquidspeed-controller. Fig. 7 represents a vertical longitudinal section ofthe central portion of the compound thermostat, with its members, in thepositions they should occupy when the heat to which they are subjectedis at its mean. Fig. 8 represents a top view of the central portion ofthe compound thermostat. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 represent detail views ofthe apparatus, designated by the same letters as the same parts in theother figures.

The principal members of the apparatus represented in the accompanyingdrawings are the thermostat A, the detent and engine mechanism B, theliquid speed-controller G, and the valves D, which control the heat byopening or closing flues or pipes, through which passes the hot air fromlamps or gas-lights, or the steam from a steam-boiler.

The general operation of the apparatus is that the thermostatic bars ofthe thermostat change their curvature when exposed to variations ofheat; that this change enables them to move adetent, (denominated theregulatordetent,) which controls the action of a light spring 'orweight, (denominated the detentmotor that this light spring or weight,when permitted to act, operates a second detent, (denominated theengine-detent,) which determines the action of the dynamic engine formoving the valves; that the liquid speed-controller controls the speedwith which the dynamic engine shall move, and prevents jar when itsmovement is arrested by the enginedetent, and that the valves or theirsubstitutes are moved by the engine, and regulate or control theexpenditure of heat by lamps or other devices.

The thermostat A in the present example is a compound one, hard n g twothermostatic bars, E E, (see more particularly Figs. 7 8, 9, and 10,)each composed of a strip of hard vulcanized india-rubber, a, aboutone-eighth of an inch thick, and a thin strip of brass, b, aboutone-twenty-fifth of an inch thick, connected by rivets 0. These two barsare arranged back to back, or with the strips of the same material(brass in this example) opposite each other, so that variations in heatcause the thermostatic bars to curve in opposite directions.

The two thermostatic bars are supported in a frame, (I, made preferablyof wood, with brass mountings, (see Figs. 1, 2, 7,8, 9, and 10,) eachthermostatic bar beiu g fitted at its end with a cross-bar, 0, whoseends are round and project laterally beyond the edges of the bar intoholes in the mountingsf of the frame.

The holes in the mountings for the crossbars at one end of the frame areround, those at the other are oval, or slots, to permit the ends of thecross-bars to move in them longitudinally of the frame as thethermostatic bars change their curvature.

The two thermostatic bars are connected by a lever, F, the bearing 9 ofthe fulcrum-shaft of which is carried by the upper bar, E, while the armof the lever is connected, by a pivot, h, and rodj, with the lowerthermostatic bar, E. Hence, when the thermostatic bars, which, as beforestated, are back to back, change their curvature, the fulcrum of thelever F and the conuectingpivot h are caused to move in oppositedirections, the result of which is an angular movement of the lever Fabout double that which would be obtained if the fulcrum of the leverwere a fixture, and both thermostatic bars were connected with the armor arms of the lever F at a distance from the fulcrum thereof.

The connecting-lever F is in this instance long enough to multiply themovement of the thermostatic bars, and this movement is still furthermultiplied by means of a second lever, F, whose fulcrum-shaft g issupported by the frame d, and whose longer arm, k,is connected by a rod,1, with the regulator-detent. It is preferred to arrange thethermostatic bars over each other and horizontally flatwise, and in thiscase it is also preferred to counterpoise a portion of the weight of oneor both bars by means of a counterpoise, G, which may be adjusted byscrewing it along the armof the coun terpoise-lever H ,that connects thecounterpoise with the upper thermostatic bar. The practical effect ofthis counterpoise is to prevent the weight of the bars themselves frommaterially affecting their curvature, and to render their curvature, byvariations of temperature, more free. In practice it is found expedientto counterpoise half the weight of the upper thermostatic bar directly,and half of that of thelower thermostatic bar indirectly, through theconnecting-rod j and connectinglever F. If, therefore, the arms of thatlever are as two to one, the strain of the counterpoise upon the upperthermostatic bar may be equal to three-quarters of the weight of one ofthe bars. For convenience of adjustment the lower end of theconnecting-rod j is screwthreaded, and is fitted with a milled nut, m,which is held free to turn in the lower end of a tube attachment, n, bythe point of a screw, 0. Hence by turningthe milled nut theconnecting-lever F may be set so as to stand about level at the meantemperature under which the apparatus is to work. For greater freedom ofmovement the screw-threaded end of the connecting-rod j is madeseparately, and is connected with the main portion by a pivot; and forfurther convenience of adjustment it is preferred to construct theconnecting-linkj, between the connecting-lever F and themultiplying-lever F, with a series of pivotholes, so that the effectivelength of the link may be varied as found expedient.

The detent and engine mechanism B, Figs. 1 and 2, (represented morefully at Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 11,) comprises the regulator-detent I, theengine-detent J, the detent-motor, which in this example is awatch-spring, K, the dynamic engine, and the various appurtenanceshereinafter described. All of these devices are mounted in a frame, M.

The dynamic engine in the present example consists of a main or engineshaft, N, constructed to revolve in hearings in the frame, and fittedwith a cord-pulley, 0, to which is applied the cord or chain of theweight that is employed to drive the engine. The pulley 0 is constructedto turn upon the engineshaft N, .and is connected with that shaftthrough the intervention of a ratchet-wheel, P, a pawl, q, and theconnecting-wheel It, secured to the engine-shaft. This connectionpermits the pulley O to be turned backward for the purpose of winding upthe motor, but compels the engine-shaft to turn forward with the pulley0, when the motor weight or spring is permitted to operate. In order toprevent the accidental back motion of the engine-shaft during the winding up of the motor, the counecting-vv'heel R has its rim formed intoratchet-teeth, which engage with a pawl, s, pivoted to the engine-frameM and pressed upon by a spring, 1).

The motor weight or spring tends to turn the engine-shaft N forward orin the direction of the arrows t; but its actions or times of movementare determined by the engine-detent J. This en gine-detent, in thepresent example, consist of a portion of a rotary shaft, Q, having partsof its substance cut away to form two slots, to u. The engine-shaft N isprovided with a set of detent-arms, S S, which project from itsufficiently to strike the solid surface of the engine-detentJ, and theends of one pair, S S, of these detent-arms are arranged to revolveopposite one detent-slot, u, while the ends of the other pair of detentarms, S S", are arranged to revolve opposite the other detent-slot, a, sothat when, from the turning of the detent-shaft Q in the directionindicated by the arrow t, either slot (u, for example) faces the engine-shaft N, the detent-arm(S for example) opposite that slot can passand permit the engine-shaft to turn until the next succeedingdetent-arm, S, moves to and strikes the solid substance of theengine-detent behind the other detent-slot, a. The movement of theengine-shaft is thereby arrested, and it then remains at rest, with thedetentarm resting on the detent-shaft, until the next movement of thelatter, whereupon the detent-arm so resting is allowed to pass throughits slot, and the engine-shaft turns until again arrested by the actionof the engine-detent upon the next succeeding detentarm.

In the present example four detent-arms are used; but this number may beincreased or decreased, as found expedient, according to the angularmovement to be permit-ted in the engine-shaft N at each action of theengine-detent J. V

In order that the enginedetent J may be moved, a light motor isprovided; and in the present example this detent-motor consists of thewatch-spring K, which is coiled around the engine-shaft N, and operatesthe enginedetent through the intervention of the cogwheels T T, thefirst of which is fitted to revolve freely upon the engineshaft N, whilethe second, T, is secured to the engine-detent shaft Q.

In the present example the engine-detent J is arranged to turn half arevolution at each operation, and the proportions of the wheels are astwo to one.

The detent-motor may be arranged to be wound up by hand, in which caseit need not be coiled onthe engine shaft; but in the present case aprovision is made for winding up the detent motor by the engine, so thatthe en ginemotor is the only motor that requires attention. To this endthe inner end of the coil of watchspring K is connected with theengineshaft N, through the intervention of the hub of the wheel It,while the outer end of the coil is connected with the cog-wheel T by itslateral stud c, and the spring is coiled in the direction proper to bewound up by the forward turning of the engine-shaft.

As the wheels T T are in the proportion of 2 to 1, the turning of theengine detent-shaft Q; half a revolution to release the engine-shaftruns down the detent-spring K a quarter of a turn; but as theengine-shaft has four detentarms, S S, and turns a quarter of arevolution immediately after it is released, it then winds up thedetent-sprin g a quarter of a turn, so as to restore its tension.

The movement of the engine-detent by the detent-motor is determined bythe regulator- (letent I, which, when the detent mechanism is used incombination with a thermostat, is operated by the latter. Thisregulator-detent I consists, in this example, of a slotted curved plateconnected with one arm of a lever, w, with whose other arm the rod 1from the thermostat is connected for the purpose of moving the detent.The detentlever is secured to a shaft, as, capable of rocking uponpivotbearings in the frame M, and a counterpoise, U, is connected withthis detent rock-shaft to exercise a constant tensile strain upon theconnecting-rod l, which, therefore, may be of small dimensions. In orderthat this regulator-detent may determine the action or the engine-detentJ, the engine-detent shaft Q is fitted with two detent-arms, Y Y, theend of each of which is bent so as to pass through the slot of theregulator-detent when it is within the circle of revolution of such end.One of these dctent-arms is longer than the other, so that their bentends do not revolve in the same circle; consequently, when theregulator-detent I is moved to the position required to let one arm, Y,pass through the detent-slot, and thus permit that arm and theengine-detent to be moved by the detent-motor K, the plate of the detentcrosses the circle of revolution of the other arm, Y, which is stoppedthereby until the succeeding movement of the regulator-detent releasesit in turn. For convenience of adjustment, the upper end of the rod Z isscrew-threaded, and is connected with the detent-lever w by means of atubular connection, l, and two milled nu ts.

Whenever the engine-shaft N is released by the action of the detents, itis turned by the engine-motor, and the speed and force with whichit'tends to turn if not controlled would depend upon the excess of themotor force over the resistances. It is always desirable that thereshould be considerable excess of motor force, so as to insure themovement of the engine under all circumstances that may occur inpractice. Such an excess of force, if not controlled, would cause theengine-detent arms to strike with a jar against the engine detent, andmight also so increase the frictional pressure upon the latter as torequire more force in the detent-motor K than is desirable. In order toprevent such jar or the frictional pressure incident to it, the liquidspeed-controller G is provided. This device consists of a set ofpaddles, connected with the en gine-shaft N, and fitted to revolve in atrough, 2, containing a liquid, such, for example, as water, oil, orglycerinei The edges of the paddles revolve close to the sides andbottom of the trough, so that the liquid will be moved by the turning ofthe engineshaft; consequently the latter can turn no faster than theliquid will permit the paddles to move, while, on the other hand, asthere are no solid parts in contact, the friction is practically nothing when the speed is slow, and consequently the loss of. force ispractically inappreciable. The comparatively slow movement of theengine-shaft, compelled by the liquid speed-controller, effectuallyprevents the jar of the er.- gine-detent arms against the surface of theenglue-detent.

In the present example it has been found convenient to connect theliquid speed-controller with the engine-shaft by means of thevalve-shaft a; but any other suitable connection may, of course, beemployed, if preferred.

It has also been found expedient to provide the regulator-trough with anoverflow-pipe, s.

The contact of the surfaces of the regulatordetent and detent-arms andof the pivots of the regulator-detent shaft produces'a slight friction,which impedes to some extent the movement of the thermostat. In order toneutralize the effect of this friction a shifting weight is provided, toassist the movement of the detent by the thermostat. In the presentexample this weight has the form of a lever, Z, which is pivoted at oneend to the frame of the engine, and is connected at the other end withthe shank b of the regulator-detent lever 10. Beneath this lever-weightthere is a cam, l/V, secured to the engine-shaft N in a position toraise the lever-weight at the times the thermostat is so moving as tolet the connecting-rod lrise, and to free the lever-weight and permit itto hang upon the detent-lever at the times the thermostat is moving topull the connecting-rod l downward. WVhen the weight Z is thus raised bythe cam WV the strain of whatever weight it exerts is taken off from thethermostat, which can thus exert an equal force in raising theconnecting-rod, and when the weight is allowed to hang upon the shank ofthe detent-lever the thermostat is assisted by the force of the weightin moving the connecting-rod downward. The cam thus shifts the action ofthe weight, and the latter assists the thermostat to move theregulator-detent in alternately-opposite directionsin one direction byrelieving a part of the strain, and in the other direction directly byan assisting force.

In order that the acting weight of the lever Z may be adjusted, a slide,0, is applied to it, and held in position by frictional contact.

In the present example the engine is employed to operate two valves, DD, whose shafts a a are connected with the engineshaft by clutches a athe outer end of each valve-shaft being supported in practice by abearing, which is not shown in the drawings. In the present example thevalves are of the damper class, and are moved directly by the turning ofthe engine-shaft, a quarter of a revolution of the latter opening thevalves, and a succeeding quarter turning them crosswise of the flue andclosing them. It preferred, however, the valves may be operatedindirectly through the intervention of cranks or eccentrics andconnecting-rods, or by gearing. The valves also may be of diiferentforms, and, if preferred, other controlling devices may be substitutedfor a valve or valves. Th us, if the thing to be controlled be the flameof a lamp, the engine-shaft may be connected with a sliding wick-tube,so as to move it, or

with the wick-raising device, so as to move it. If, again, the thing tobe controlled is the flame of gas, the valve or cook controlling thesupply of gas may be suitably connected with the engine-shaft, so as toconstitute a substitute for the damper-Valve represented in the draw ings.

It is sometimes expedient to inclose the engine and detent mechanism ina glass shade. In such case the engine-shaft may be connected with thevalve-shaft or other shaft beneath by means of an endless chain andchainwheels, or by other power-transmitting devices.

From the foregoing description it appears that the dynamic engine cannotmove until released by the action of two detents, I J, one of which isoperated by a special motor, K. This duplex detent mechanism is of greatvalue whenever the force available to determine the times of movement ofthe dynamic engine is small, while the engine forceis comparativelylarge. If, for example, the engine' detent should be operated directlyby the available controlling or determining instrumentalities, thelatter would have to overcome the whole of the frictional resistancesdue to the pressure exerted by the engine-motor upon the engine-detent.By interposing the regulatordetentand the detent-motor between thedetel-mining instrumentality and the enginc'detent, such a state offacts is at once changed, because the detent-motor so interposed evercomes the frictional resistances due to the pressure exerted by theengine-motor upon the engine-detent, and the available force of thedetermining instrumentality is burdened only with the slight work ofoperating or controlling the operation of the light detent-motor. Theresistances to the action of the available force of the determininginstrumentality are thus reduced about in the proportion of the extentof movements of the engine-detent to .the extent of movements of theends of the engine-detent arms; and this ratio may be 7 increased byincreasing the length of the dctent-arms, or by interposing gearingbetween the engine-detent and a shaft carrying such detent-arms. Infact, the scnsitiveness of the duplex detent mechanism, even whenconstructed as represented in the drawings, is very great, so that themovements of the eugine may be determined by a thermostat or athermometer capable of exerting a slight force.

The various parts of the apparatus thus described may be greatly variedif deemed expedient. Thus a single thermostatic bar or a thermometer maybe employed in place of the two combined bars if the combination ofthermostatic bars and connecting-lever, hereinafter claimed as the firstpart of my invention, be not used. It is also not essential that thethermostatic bar should consist of two materials, riveted or otherwisesecured together throughout their length, because a thermostat may bemade by connecting a bar of one material, in the form of a bow, with astraight bar of another material of a lower thermo-expansive capacity,the latter holding the ends of the bow-bar from spreading apart. Theform of the detent mechanism also may be greatly changed. Thus a disk orplate with projecting pins maybe substituted for the detent-arms; or,the engine-detent and enginedetent arms may consist of a detent plateand arms like those of the regulator-detent and its arms. In this casethe engine-detent would be arranged to vibrate, and,instead of beingformed in one piece with the detent-shaft, would be constructedseparately, and be connected with the detent-shaft Q, by means of aneccentric or by a crank and rod, so as to be vibrated to and fro by theturning of the detent-shaft. I have also used with success a singlerevolving detent-arm, operating in connection with two vibratingdetent-plates, in cases in which the shaft carrying the detentarm wasrequired to make a complete revolution at each operation. In this casethe detent-arm was constructed to vibrate crosswise of its plane ofrevolution, so that at one revolution it operated in connection with onedetent-plate, and at the succeeding revolution in connection with theother detent-plate.

The duplex detent mechanism above described is applicable to otherpurposes than controlling heat. Thus, for example, it may be employed todetermine the times of movement of the motor of a heavy turret-clock orof the calendar mechanism of a clock. In such case the time-movementwould operate the regulator detent, and the detent-motor would operatethe detent which releases the heavy weight that moves the hands of thedials or the striking mechanism.

.The combination of the detent-motor with the engine-shaft, whereby thesaid motor is wound up by the engine,is important, because it avoids thenecessity of winding the detentmotor by hand; but this combination, asset forth in the third claim, is not essential to other parts of myinvention and may be omitted, in which case the detent-motor may be aweight or spring arranged to be wound up by hand.

The liquid speed-controller is an important accessory to the engine,because it controls the speed of the latter without the intervention ofthe multiplying-gearing, which is necessary when a fly revolving in airis used; and, if deemed expedient, a similar liquid speed-controller ofsmall size may be applied to the engine detent-shaft Q, so as to preventthe arms thereof from striking the regulator-detent with a ar.

The shifting weight Z is an effective auxil-. iary of the detentmechanism. It may be replaced by a spring operating in substantially thesame manner, and it may be employed with advantage in cases of a singledetent mechanism, in which the detent-arms,operated by the engine ormotor, are arranged to operate directly upon the regulator-detent.

Instead of combining the shifting weight directly with the detent-lever,it may be combined therewith indirectly-as, for example, by connectingthe weight or spring with the connecting-rod l, or with one of thelevers of the thermostat.

The effective force which the shifting weight exerts may be adapted tothe exigencies of the case in which it is employed. In the presentexample it is preferred to have this effective force slightly greaterthan is sufficient to overcome the friction of the movements of theparts which are moved simultaneously with the thermostat.

The cam for relieving the weight is a convenient device for that purposebut it may be replaced by any substitute that will do the work at theproper times.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, substantially as before setforth, of two thermostatic bars by means of a connecting-lever, whichhas its fulcrum carried by one of said bars and its arm connected withthe other of said bars.

2. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of a thermostaticbar, arranged horizontally with a counterpoise-weight.

3. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the engine-shaft, detent-motor, and engine-detent, whereby the detent-motor iswound up by the engine.

4. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the engine,engine-detent, detentmotor, and regulator-detent.

5. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the engine,liquid speed-controller, and en gine-detent.

6. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of a thermostaticbar, regulator-detent, detent-motor, engine-detent, and engine.

7. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the en gine,liquid speed-controller, engine-detent, detent-motor, andregulator-detent.

8. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of theregulator-detent, detent-motor, engine-detent, engine,'and valve.

9. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of a thermostaticbar, regulator-detent, detent-motor, en gine-detent, engine, and valve.

10. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the detentand the shifting weight.

11. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of thethermostat and the shifting weight.

Witness my hand this 21st day of October, A. D. 1878.

. EDWARD SABINE RENWIOK.

Witnesses W. L. BENNEM, H. H. ISAACS.

